Automated Refactoring

DEVOPS IS MORE THAN JUST DELIVERING SOFTWARE.

Sometimes keeping code clean can fall in priority.

It happens. But when it happens too much, your code can get in such disrepair that it’s impossible to work with. This disrepair is called “technical debt”, and, like financial debt, will incur interest if it’s not “paid off” regularly.

To combat this, one of the services Arch DevOps provides is to refactor your code with new patterns that decrease maintenance and increase usability–paying off your technical debt.

And, once a pattern is established for what needs to be refactored, that process becomes automated.

A common use for this is for teams having test automation already.

But it has a high amount of technical debt. If, for example, a certain change needs to be made across all tests, it can be risky and disruptive to do it everywhere and then roll the change out.

Instead, a single change is made. Then the affected test is run. If the test passes, then the change is checked in. This is done until all the changes are complete.

A methodical approach like this is safer and predictable. Predictability lends itself well to automation. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.